Impressive: The Capitan baseball program

Arguably one of the most mysterious sports is that of baseball. Why do certain things happen at a given time when you least expect them to? And when they do, can you adequately explain to yourself how they did happen?

Why are specific baseball programs consistently superior even though they may not have a large talent pool (student body) to choose from? Take the 1A Capitan Tigers for instance.

Last year the Tigers won the state title, as they did the year before that. And back in 2010 they had a chance to win it all but lost in the semi-finals.

This season the team is currently 11-2 overall and it is undefeated (4-0) in district play, which would lead one to believe they have a chance to do some impressive things in the upcoming state games once again.

So what gives? What's the secret to Capitan's success?

By all reports, its Little League team is notable. If proven to be true, this would bode well for Capitan's baseball future.

In 2011, the Tigers lost four of their players to graduation. In 2012, they won all the marbles again without any seniors on the team. This year they have five on the roster.

When you look at a successful baseball team, you have to initially look at its pitching staff - especially the older veterans. But in this case, that doesn't necessarily "hold water."

Of the Tigers four frontline pitchers, only one is a senior - right-hander Raul Villegas (with a record of 5-2). Right-handed Tracker Bowen, a junior, is currently 5-0.

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Junior right-hander Bobby Hughes is quick and has good control. Southpaw sophomore Dillon Trapp is 6-feet, 3-inches, 215 pounds and still has time to grow.

And if those four weren't enough, the Tigers have senior righty Jacob Wilcox, who can throw some closeouts for them.

OK, maybe that explains some of the team's success. Wait a minute, though! That really doesn't account for the abundance of talent - including hitters and fielders - and where all of them come from and their perennial winning ways.

Is it in the water? Is it ordained in the stars? If you have the answers to any of these arcane questions please inform the rest of us mortals.

Maybe it's become a way of life and merely accepted fact, locally. Whatever the answer, Capitan's record speaks to the facts.

There is one other ingredient in the mix - Capitan's head coach James Weems. Stoic, resourceful and a good guesser when the occasion calls for it (to be a good guesser you have to have a feel for any given situation), this man at the helm has been at it for 36 years - first as a player and then as a coach.

"Although we had no seniors on the squad last year, their confidence was automatic," Weems proudly said.

"In 2010 we lost in the state semi-finals, and but for a few breaks that didn't go our way, we could have been there (for the championship game).

"This season some of our players have been on a four-year ride."

As for the mystery of Capitan's success, Weems can only say, "We teach hitting, pitching and fielding just like everybody else.

"Our players have learned the game of baseball - nothing was easy for them. The boys have become very aggressive.

"Last year, in the quarter-finals, we beat Logan by one run. We won the semi-final contest by three runs. In the title game, the boys were behind at one point but came back to win it by one run.

"As for my job, I feel a coach has to figure out where a kid belongs on the field."

Additionally, Weems has some good help. His assistant is Dink Bowen. He also has two volunteers - Jason Hightower and Steve Dirks - who spend some tireless hours on the baseball field(s).

The only two losses the Tigers have suffered so far were both at the hands of Texico. On March 28, Texico won, 11-7, and on April 5, the Tigers lost to the same team, 9-8.

"We lost that 9-8 game honestly," Weems ex-plained. "The Tigers have learned to accept games like that."

Currently, Capitan is undefeated in district play at 4-0.

"The district title isn't locked up but it's close," the self-controlled and guarded head coach said.

If Capitan can get one of the top four seeds going into the state games - which they should - it will host a quarterfinal game on May 8.

"The players are excited with their prospects and the young Little Leaguers are looking good," Weems said.

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